Internet Access In Country WA
By graham | September 10, 2009
Finding internet access is easy enough in cities and popular tourist spots, but what if you need to check your e-mail in less-visited country areas, where tourist facilities may be scarce? In Western Australia, telecentres are a useful solution.
The WA state government provides telecentres so that rural folk can have access to educational computer facilities and high speed internet like their city cousins do. They are often the access points for government services like Centrelink or TAFE, and also offer services like printing, photocopying, fax and videoconferencing.
Although originally intended for residents, travellers are welcome to use them too. The benefit for travellers is that a large number of widely scattered small towns - many of which don’t have mobile phone coverage - have somewhere that internet can be accessed for prices comparable to city internet cafes. Some, particularly in towns more popular with tourists, also allow copying of digital photos to CD.
The telecentre at Mukinbudin
Opening hours vary widely, because the telecentres are often incorporated into a visitors centre, library, school, or some other government agency whice may have its own restricted hours. For example, late opening, early closing and lunchtime closures may be encountered, and some may not open every day - the smaller and more isolated the town, the less likely long hours will be. If your need for internet is important and your time in a town is limited, it could pay to ring ahead and check availability.
Details of WA’s telecenters are available from www.telecentres.wa.gov.au. At the time of writing, a location map and a list of addresses and phone numbers could be downloaded - a useful addition to the travel kit of anyone touring the back roads of Western Australia.
Topics: Odds and Ends |